Starting box for use in dog races and the like



Fri? 335.

Filed July 12, 195:5

April 16, 1935 G. W. HEHNTZ STARTING BOX FOR USE .IN DOG RACES AND THE LIKE Filed July 12, 195 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 16, 1935 mm STATES een STARTING BOX FOR USE IN DOG RACES AND THE LIKE George W. Heintz, Menlo Park, Calif. Application July 12, 1933, Serial No. 680,124

1 claim.

This invention relates to improvements in starting boxes for use in dog racing and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to furnish such a starting box in which the door is combined with improved weight means which not only assist inraising the door but also act to keep the door from rebounding and thereby injuring the dogs.

Another object is to supply a starting box having a door controlled. by a combination of means including latches to normally hold the door in closed position; elastic cords to assist in raising the door when the latches are released; man-' ually operated cords for raising the door; and weighted cords which not only assist in raising the door, but function to yieldingly maintain the same in open position.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the improved starting box.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end view of the box. Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates the floor of the box which is preferably provided with corrugated rubber mats 6. The

interior of the box is divided by vertical partitions i into a number-of compartments 8.

A door 9, common to all the compartments, closes the front ends of the latter and the upper end of this door is hingedly suspended, as shown at it, from a,bearing H which extends across the top portion of the front of the box immediately below the roof l2.

The rear ends of the compartments are preferably closed by individual doors !3 which slide up and down in grooves it provided in strips l5 which are positioned at the rear edges of the partitions i.

The door 9 has clear vision windows l6 formed ofnon-breakable glass, and the number of these windows equals the number of the compartments so that all the dogs occupying the compartments will have a clear view ahead. 7

The front door is normally held inclosed position bypivoted latches I! which engage (01. lie-15.5)

I length of the box, so that said arm may be actuated by an operator standing rearwardly oi the center portion of the box by manipulation of 10 a loop-handle 23 which is connected to the arm 22.

The operator may also assist in the raising of the door and, for this purpose, a number of jibs 24 have their rear ends secured to the roof 15 of the box. The medial portions of these jibs are supported by bracing bars 25 which are secured together by vertical members 25a and to the roof and jibs for supporting the front end portions of the jibs in a forwardly and upwardly inclined position.

An end rope 26 has its ends secured to the lower corners of the door, as shown at 21, and the rope extends upwardly from said corners and passes through eyes 28 mounted on the end jibs. 25

From the eyes 28 the rope extends downwardlyv through eyes 29 fixed to the medial portion of the lower part of the front of the door, and from the eyes 29 the rope extends upwardly through eyes 30 arranged at opposite sides of the medial one 30 of the jibs. The medial portion of the rope forms a hand loop 3| adapted to be pulled by the operator to assist in raising the door when the latches are released.

Elastic cords or rubber ropes 32 may also be 35 employed to assist in raising the door, and each of these ropes has one of its ends secured to a lower corner of the door, as shown at 33, and its upper end connected to an eye 34 secured to the outer end portion of one of the jibs.

Counter-weights 35 not only assist in raising the door but act to prevent the same from rebounding when it is elevated. Each counterweight is suspended from a rope 38 having its upper end portion passing over an eye or pulley 31 mounted on the upper end portion of a post 38 positioned at an end of the box. From the eyes or pulleys 3'! each rope 36 extends forwardly over' a pulley or through an eye 39 mounted on the front end of one of the jibs, and from the eye 39 the ropes extend downwardly and have their front ends secured to the lower corners of the door.

The posts 38 may extend into the ground for anchoring the box in position, and holes may be arranged along side said posts, if desired, to accommodate the movement of weights 35.

In use it will be assumed that the door 9 is held in closed position by the latches i1. Then the dogs may be introduced into the compartments 8 through the rear doors l3; after which the doors are closed.

At the start of a race, a single operator may first pull the handle 23 to release the latches and then pull the hand loop 3| to rapidly swing the front door 9 into open position. As the door opens the counter-weights will steady the same so that the door will not rebound and injure the dogs.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, use, and advantages of the improved starting box will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, and it is apparent that changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the claim.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A starting box for dog races or the like comprising a casing divided internally into a number of compartments, a hinged door closing the front ends of all of said compartments and swingable up and down, jibs mounted on the casing and projecting forwardly above said door, one of said jibs being positioned at the medial portion of the casing and the other jibs being positioned at the end portions of the casing, guides mounted on all of the jibs, other guides secured to the medial portion of the lower part of the front of the door, and a rope extending through all of said guides and having its ends secured to the front of the door, the medial portion of the rope being positioned rearwardly of the medial jib, to permit an operator to raise the door by pulling on the medial portion of the rope.

GEORGE W. HEINTZ. 

